This invention relates generally to service-line valve connectors, spout fitments and their couplings, and in particular, to a service-line connector and spout fitment whose coupling provides for fluid flow therethrough to follow a substantially straight fluid path.
Service-line valve connectors and spout fitments are widely used in the food and beverage industry, for example to facilitate packaging, distributing, protecting and dispensing of food and beverage products. Typical desired characteristics of such connectors and fitments are, for example, that they are capable of easily being assembled and disassembled for cleaning such devices and for ease of packaging the food and beverage products; capable of being rugged and durable during shipping of the food and beverage products; capable of protecting food and beverage products against contamination, by for example protective sealings; and capable of allowing the desired fluid flow during operation of the connection.
Of particular interest to the invention is the dispensing of condiments, such as, for example, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relishes, and pasta and pizza sauce products. These types of products present particular problems for the design of service-line connectors, spout fitments and their fluid connections. Not only are condiment products generally more viscous than beverage products, they often contain relatively large food particulates. Because of the viscous nature of condiment products, obtaining a desired fluid flow rate through service-line connectors and container spouts is of particular concern. Thus, there is a need for a service-line connector/spout fitment connection which allows considerable fluid flow therethrough to achieve a desired fluid flow rate, useful for dispensing thick condiment products.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, another concern with condiment products is that they often contain large food particulates. Large food particulates can be a potential problem for service-line connectors and spout fitments since these particulates can get lodged near the fluid openings or valves, and thereby impede or prevent fluid flow through the connection. Hence, there is a need for not only providing considerable fluid flow through service-line connectors and their mating spouts, but there is also a need for such devices that prevents and/or resolves blockage of the fluid path through said connection due to food particulates.
As with any other service-line connectors and spouts generally, there is a need for such devices that protects against contamination during shipping and dispensing, that can be easily assembled and disassembled for facilitating the cleaning of these devices and the packaging of the fluid or condiment products; and that are rugged and durable so that they can withstand forces exerted on them during shipping and handling of the condiment products.